We need to give additional thought to the Grand Prix race scheduled to come to West New York and Weehawken in 2013. The organizers claim this race would be a boon for the local economy, bringing in $100 million. But I think this is a big gamble disguised by overly optimistic advertising. Take recent events promoted for the economic benefits to host cities: the Olympics in London, or the Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, FL. Events like these don’t always live up to the economic hype for host cities. The promoters for these events often undersell potential problems, like travel delays or bad weather, or unintended costs. And in this case, the Grand Prix chose New Jersey for its proximity to New York City—where most of the tourists will be staying, spending money, and trafficking to and from the race—which brings into question how much these economic projections will actually land in New Jersey.

Here’s what we do know the race will bring in: thousands of out-of-towners, blocked driveways, crowded transit, trash, police barriers, and lots of noise—all over the course of several days. As a local resident, thinking about this race already gives me a headache.

Thank you for writing and publishing this. I hope people start to ask questions. We have some great fluff here. For some reason, everyone is blindly moving forward.

I love F1; I am thrilled it is coming to our backyard. However, we need to make sure questions are answered. For instance, according to Bernie, these guys have no money. If they have no money, how do they plan to pay for all the costs we will incur (they claim they will pay for all costs).

How long will roads be shut down to repave and prepare them for the race (this includes time before and after)?

With roads shut down, how do we get to the ferry? What is the estimated increase of time to get through the Lincoln Tunnel b/c the PI ferry has no access?

Of the $100M coming to the area, how much is predicted to be spent in NJ?